Volvo PV444/544
The PV444 is a passenger car from Volvo.
Key data
- Production time: 1947-1958
- No. of items: 295 499
- Wheelbase: 2600 mm
- Track width front 1280 mm, rear 1300 mm
- Capacity: 1414-1853 cc
- Forward speeds: 3, 1st gear unsynchronized
- Nickname: Buckelvolvo
The "People's Volvo "
The Volvo Assar Gabrielsson cofounder of the company used for some time the vision of mass motorization. However, this long remained an illusion, for the average consumer ( Swedish time: Mr. fru och Medel - Svensson ) did not have the means to zuzulegen a car, let alone an expensive and robust Volvo. In the mid -1930s, all automobile manufacturers began to build smaller cars for the general population, including Volvo began to worry.
The main responsible for the new project was Helmer Petterson. The new car should have a self-supporting body, with its design, Volvo had until then but never busy. To explore the design principle, you bought a the 1939 Hanomag 1.3 liters, which was so great about how the PV should be. Volvo's design principles were based until now to the then American: Useful size, simple structure, long life. To guarantee especially the latter, you just hit the design of the body a few percent on it - in the hope that it will hold. The body was never charged, but proved to be extremely stable.
The introductory price was (SEK), a sum that could barely cover the cost of production at 4800 Swedish Krona. Thus, the model became a resounding success, in 1944 2,300 people signed a purchase agreement, and Volvo stand at that price, even though it meant significant loss. In March 1947, the regular retail price of the PV444 then was 6050 SEK.
Due to shortage of materials immediately after the war, production was only very slowly. The actual production began only in 1947 with modest 1920 cars. The following year, they built 2176 pieces.
Volvo had planned to build a total of 8000 cars, but the number increased to 12,000 after the demand was so overwhelming at the official launch in 1944. Had until the first PV in the spring of 1947, received state approval, had already received over 10,000 firm orders. As at the end of 1965, production of both models ( PV444 and PV544 ) were built 440,000 pieces, 55 times as many as originally planned.
What's PV444?
"PV " stand on previous models for personvagn, the Swedish word for passenger cars. " 444 ," said the former customer magazine rats ( the steering wheel ) stands for: 4 cylinder, 40 hp and 4 seats.
Models
The first revision took place in 1950. It was the PV444B, which was sold in September 1950. The first model was called later PV444A.
In PV444B the instruments from the center of the dashboard have been moved to the direct view of the driver. The instrument panel has also been redesigned. The Winker were a direction indicator on the roof - centered on the leading edge - made by the so-called " roof cuckoo " ( Swedish time: takgök ), which was, however, difficult to detect and roof racks blocked. Its beauty seemed to the customers also rather questionable. A Q- model, which was intended primarily for export, and the Swedish telegraph station, turn signals, which were mounted on the side behind the doors received. In addition, the bumpers were modified. Finish: black or dove gray in the deluxe model.
The PV444C ( June 1951 - July 1952 ) ran despite all the criticism continues with the new direction indicator. The C model had 15 -inch wheels with five mounting screws instead of 16 -inch wheels with four screws.
From August 1952 to November 1953 the PV444D was produced, in which finally the direction indicator was replaced by lateral flashing lights, however. Only after a change in the law during the period of production Also, you could buy a surcharge interior heating. Then there was a metallic paint at the deluxe model PV444DS, which, however, proved to be not very politically resistant and faded after a short time.
The PV444E ( December 1953 - November 1954 ) decreed finally have a standard heater and was the last model with split rear window. A special purchase incentive was included in the purchase price five-year warranty, which also revealed damage to the car, so it was also a kind of insurance. This idea gave Volvo a long legal battle with the Swedish insurance industry.
The end of 1954 the PV444H (1954 - November 1955 December) came on the market. The most important change: an integrated rear window for better rearward visibility. Nevertheless, reversing remained a risky undertaking because of the short range remained invisible by the sweeping tail. Many owners of older models could retrofit the new rear window. In the new model, the tail lights were moved up, and the engine power increased at the end of 44 to 51 hp.
Towards the end of 1955, the PV444K followed ( December 1955 - January 1957), the front of which was decorated with a grille instead of the usual transverse ribs. The boundary between the H- model and the K- model is not precisely define many unsold H models were equipped from the factory with the new engine and barbecue.
The PV444L ( January 1957 - August 1958 ) received a larger engine with more power. The engine was now called B16A had, therefore, displacement of 1.6 liters, still three crankshaft bearings and made 60 DIN hp or 66 hp SAE; for the United States, there was the B16B engine with twin carburettors, which even made 85 hp SAE. Both engines were further combined with the slightly antiquated three-speed gearbox with a non-synchronized first gear. In addition, the grille has been decorated by an oversized V. The PV444L was equipped on request with seat belts for the front seats.
On August 25, 1958, the PV544 model, which was an evolution of PV444 appeared. Nobody had then expected that the model would ever continued to be built, after all, there was the successor, the Volvo P120, called Amazon to buy for a year. The PV was but cheaper and much to the annoyance of the Amazon driver thanks to better aerodynamics even faster, so that demand remained strong.
The estate version was the PV445, also called a duet.
Export to North America
1955 Volvo first started exporting its vehicles to North America. The H- model this project was awarded U.S. bumpers and mostly light-colored vinyl upholstery. America also uses an engine with higher power and two carburetors were offered, a native P1900 ( sports car from Volvo) from the Volvo. Throughout the rest of the production time, this sports version was offered only outside Sweden, which some Swedish customers complained. The reason for this strange today published model policy was that the amount of the payable for each car tollage taught for imported cars in the U.S. for the strongest offered in the country of engine.
Shortly after the start of the export Volvo created the intended mainly for Denmark and Norway export model PV444HE, which turned out to be saving version. Paint instead of chrome, no heating, no rear armrests and no vent windows front led not just to sales success. And so the show was canceled a few years later.
The L- model had to do without in the radiator grille, as it was in America for a V8 engine and was therefore not justified in the U.S. version onto the larger V.
Rally Success in PV444
1958 won Gunnar Andersson, the European Rally Championship in PV444L.